Apparatus for comminuting materials



1962 G. K. KOCHER 3,058,674

APPARATUS FOR COMMINUTING MATERIALS Filed June 22, 1961 .mu m) saw) INVENTOR. 34 GEORGE K. KOCHER WQ & (0%

ATTORNEY nit States 3,058,674 APPARATUS FOR COMMINUTXNG MATERIALS George K. Kocher, 604 Elmira, White Haven, Pa. Filed June 22, 1961, Ser. No. 118,876 7 Claims. (Cl. 241-39) This invention relates to apparatus for dividing materials into very fine particle sizes.

It is the general object of the invention to provide relatively inexpensive, easily operated, long wearing, and highly efiicient apparatus for dividing particles of materials into extremely finely divided powders, and the like.

Another object of the invention is the provision of apparatus of the character described utilizing inwardly directed metallic wires positioned upon the inside of a rotating cylinder in combination with an oppositely rotating cone-shaped diamond wheel, the materials to be comminuted being directed by a high pressure air blast against the diamond wheel which directs the material in turn against the metallic brush, with the material being recirculated through the apparatus a desired number of times to effect the grinding, the attrition, or the comminution desired.

The foregoing objects of the invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by the provision of apparatus including a hollow cylinder, means mounting the cylinder for rotation about its axis, means for rotating the cylinder at speeds above about 500 r.p.m., a lining for the cylinder comprising a plurality of radially inwardly directed stainless steel wires substantially engaging each other, a shaft extending axially of the cylinder, a cone-shaped diamond wheel secured to one end of the shaft adjacent the end of the cylinder, means for rotating the shaft in a direction opposite to that of the cylinder and at a speed above about 5000 r.p.m., an air blast nozzle and material container positioned at the end of the cylinder adjacent the diamond wheel and adapted to direct material to be comminuted from the container at a speed in excess of 100 miles per hour in a jet of high pressure air against the diamond wheel, the cone shape of which diverts the material outwardly against the ends of the wires lining the cylinder, and conduit means for conveying the air and material passing through the cylinder back to the entering end of the cylinder for recirculation under the force of the air jet.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a typical apparatus embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of one of the metallic brushes utilized in the apparatus of FIG. 1.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a metallic cylinder mounted by means of bearings 12 and 14 for rotation about the axis of the cylinder at relatively high speeds. The rotation of the cylinder 10 may be achieved by means of a V-belt drive 16 connected between a pulley 18 mounted on the cylinder and a pulley 20 connected to a gear box 22 which has its input shaft driven by a motor 24. The mechanism described is adapted to rotate the cylinder 10 at speeds above about 5000 r.p.m., for example 6000 r.p.m.

Lining the cylinder 10 over the full inner periphery thereof is a metallic brush 26 having relatively fine radially inwardly directed wires, for example between .005

Patented Oct. 16, 1962 ice and .014 inch, and with these wires being made of a high strength, tough material, such as stainless steel. As best seen in FIG. 2, the wires 26 are preferably looped through the wall of the cylinder 10 and form inwardly directed tufts with individual wires substantially engaging each other in side by side relation, but with the entire body of the wires 26 being normally impregnated or filled, as to any spaces therebetween, by means of a relatively tough plastic which serves to further support and strengthen the wires. In this manner the outer surface of the Wires form a very tough and abrading surface with many hundreds of relatively sharp tough points per square inch, so that this surface when utilized in the combination described produces a particularly excellent abrading and comminuting action upon the materials engaging therewith at high speeds.

Positioned centrally of the cylinder 10 is a shaft 30 having appropriate bearing supports 32 and adapted to be driven by a motor 34 at a relatively high speed, such as above 5000 r.p.m., and in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the cylinder 10, these opposite rotations being indicated by the arrows in the drawing. Mounted at the upper end of the shaft 30 is a diamond wheel 36 of cone shape, this diamond wheel being of known diamond grinding wheel composition, and with the cone 36 being positioned adjacent the end of the cylinder 10 or slightly down from the top thereof.

Positioned above the diamond wheel 36, but substantially in axial alignment therewith is a blast nozzle 38, typically of the known sandblast type adapted to have high pressure air supplied thereto by a conduit 40. In a typical installation the air is supplied at pressures in excess of about pounds per square inch, and with the conduit extending beneath a container 42 receiving the material to be comminuted, this material being fed into the conduit 40 in a controlled manner through the neck 44 at the bottom of the container 42 in the fashion in which sand or other blasting material is fed to a sandblast nozzle. The result is that the material from the container 42 is thrown at high velocity out of the nozzle 38, for example at speeds, in a typical installation, of 187 miles per hour.

Conduit means are associated with the combination so that the material passing through the cylinder 10 can be recirculated any desired number of times through the apparatus, and such conduit means have been indicated by the numeral 50 and are connected to the fixed portions of the lower bearing 12 and extend around in the manner illustrated to return the blast of air and the material to be comminuted back to the top of the cylinder 10. A door 52 may be provided at the lower portion of the conduit means 50 for removing the comminuted material once the desired degree of fineness has been obtained. 7

In the operation of the apparatus, the cylinder 10 is rotated at the relatively high speed heretofore described, and in the direction shown by the arrow. The diamond wheel cone 36 is rotated in the opposite direction, as shown by the arrow, and also at high speed. The material to be comminuted is placed in the container 42, air under the high pressure specified is passed to the conduit 40 and the nozzle 38 directs the material with the high pressure air against the end and upper sides of the diamond wheel cone 36 to initiate the abrading action on the material, with the material being thrown outwardly against the stainless steel brush ends 26 traveling at high speed in the opposite direction to further effect the very high speed abrasive and comminuting action on the material. The material then circulates through the conduit means 50 and is returned to the top of the cylinder to be recirculated any desired number of times, and to assist in this circulation, and to effect the circulation, the air blast from the nozzle 38 is continued, even though the supply of material from the container 42 is shut off at the neck 44 of the container. The operation is continued until the desired degree of fineness is achieved, whereupon the motors 22 and 34 are shut off, as is the air blast from nozzle 38, so that the door 52 can then be opened to remove the comminuted material from the apparatus.

The apparatus has been illustrated as having the cylinder 10 positioned in the vertical position illustrated, and this is the preferred practice of the invention. However, at least certain of the advantages of the invention are achieved even though the cylinder 10 will be positioned at other than a vertical, for example in a horizontal position.

It should be noted, further, that the very high speed movement of the cone-shaped diamond wheel 36 and of the cylinder 10 effects a very considerable tumbling, centrifugal force action upon the material passing through the cylinder 10 with an intense abrading action thereon resulting.

In a typical use of the apparatus of the invention it has been found necessary in the recovery or salvaging of grindings of tool steel, stainless steel, and other expensive metallic materials to very finely divide this scrap before any salvage operation can be effected. This is because such high grade steel scrap will very often have a small particle or pellet of aluminum oxide from a grinding wheel at the center of a small curl of the steel, and with these curls interlocking with each other like fish hooks, birds nests or watch springs so that if the scrap is not broken down into a powder the aluminum oxide present in it eliminates the ability to reuse the scrap because of the fact that the aluminum oxide will spoil the furnace lining of an electric or open hearth furnace. With the apparatus of the invention such scrap can be comminuted and broken down so that removal of the aluminum oxide is easily effected.

While a certain representative embodiment and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination in apparatus of a hollow cylinder having open ends, means mounting the cylinder for rotation about its axis, means for rotating the cylinder at speeds above about 5000 r.p.m., a lining for the cylinder comprising a plurality of radially inwardly directed stainless steel wires substantially engaging each other, a shaft extending axially of the cylinder, a cone-shaped diamond wheel secured to one end of the shaft adjacent one end of the cylinder and within the cylinder, means for rotating the shaft in a direction opposite to that of the cylinder and at a speed above about 5000 rpm, an air blast nozzle and material container positioned at said end of the cylinder adjacent the diamond wheel and adapted to direct material to be comminuted from the container at a speed in excess of 100 miles per hour in a jet of high pressure air against the diamond wheel, the cone shape of which diverts the material outwardly against the ends of the wires lining the cylinder, and conduit means for conveying the air and material passing through the cylinder back to the said end of the cylinder for recirculation under the force of the air jet.

2. The combination in apparatus of a hollow cylinder having open ends, means mounting the cylinder for rotation about its axis, means for rotating the cylinder, a lining for the cylinder comprising a plurality of radially inwardly directed stainless steel wires substantially engaging each other, a shaft extending axially of the cylinder, a cone-shaped diamond wheel secured to one end of the shaft adjacent one end of the cylinder and within the cylinder, means for rotating the shaft in a direction opposite to that of the cylinder, an air blast nozzle and material container positioned at the end of the cylinder adjacent the diamond wheel and adapted to direct material to be comminuted from the container in a jet of high pressure air against the diamond wheel, the cone shape of which diverts the material outwardly against the ends of the wires lining the cylinder, and conduit means for conveying the air and material passing through the cylinder back to the entering end of the cylinder for recirculation under the force of the air jet.

3. The combination in apparatus of a hollow cylinder having open ends, means mounting the cylinder for rotation about its axis, means for rotating the cylinder, a lining for the cylinder comprising a plurality of radially inwardly directed wires substantially engaging each other, a shaft extending axially of the cylinder, a cone-shaped abrasive wheel secured to one end of the shaft adjacent one end of the cylinder and within the cylinder, means for rotating the shaft in a direction opposite to that of the cylinder, an air blast nozzle and material container positioned at the end of the cylinder adjacent the abrasive wheel and adapted to direct material to be comminuted from the container in a jet of high pressure air against the abrasive wheel, the cone shape of which diverts the material outwardly against the ends of the wires lining the cylinder, and conduit means for conveying the air and material passing through the cylinder back to the entering end of the cylinder for recirculation under the force of the air jet.

4. The combination in apparatus of a hollow cylinder having open ends, means mounting the cylinder for rotation about its axis, means for rotating the cylinder, a lining for the cylinder comprising a plurality of radially inwardly directed wires substantially engaging each other, a shaft extending axially of the cylinder, a cone-shaped abrasive wheel secured to one end of the shaft adjacent one end of the cylinder and within the cylinder, means for rotating the shaft, an air blast nozzle and material container positioned at the end of the cylinder adjacent the abrasive wheel and adapted to direct material to be comminuted from the container in a jet of high pressure air against the abrasive wheel, the cone shape of which diverts the material outwardly against the ends of the wires lining the cylinder, and conduit means for conveying the air and material passing through the cylinder back to the entering end of the cylinder for recirculation.

5. The combination in apparatus of a hollow cylinder having open ends, means mounting the cylinder for rotation about its axis, means for rotating the cylinder, a lining for the cylinder comprising a plurality of radially inwardly directed wires substantially engaging each other, a shaft extending axially of the cylinder, a cone-shaped abrasive wheel secured to one end of the shaft adjacent one end of the cylinder and within the cylinder, means for rotating the shaft, and an air blast nozzle and material container positioned at the end of the cylinder adjacent the abrasive wheel and adapted to direct material to be comminuted from the container in a jet of high pressure air against the abrasive wheel, the cone shape of which diverts the material outwardly against the ends of the wires lining the cylinder.

6. The combination in comminuting apparatus of a hollow cylinder having open ends, an abrasive lining for the cylinder, means for rotating the cylinder, an abrasive wheel mounted axially at one end of the cylinder and within the cylinder, means for rotating the wheel in a direction opposite to the cylinder, an air blast nozzle positioned at the said one end of the cylinder for directing in a blast of air the material to be comminuted against end of the cylinder for directing in a blast of air the mathe wheel from which it is thrown against the lining, and terial to be comminuted against the Wheel from which it means for recirculating the material through the cylinder. is thrown against the lining.

7. The combination in comminuting apparatus of a hollow cylinder, an abrasive lining for the cylinder, means 5 References Cited in the file of this patent for rotating the cylinder, an abrasive wheel mounted axially at one end of the cylinder and within the cylinder, UNITED STATES PATENTS means for rotating the wheel in a direction opposite to the 1,325,676 McKelvey Dec. 23, 1919 cylinder, and an air blast nozzle positioned at the said one 2,981,489 Hannum Apr. 25, 1961 

